Cleanable filter system with longitudinally movable and rotatable cleaning member

Abstract

A cleanable filter system including a housing defining an inlet for fluid to be filtered and an outlet for filtered fluid, a stack of filter disks disposed within the housing and defining an upstream surface communicating with the inlet and a downstream surface communicating with the outlet and filter disk cleaning apparatus including a plurality of nozzles coupled to a source of backflushing fluid and providing a high pressure stream of fluid impinging on the downstream surface, and apparatus for providing both linear and rotational motion of the plurality of nozzles relative to the downstream surface thereby to result in systematic scanning of generally all of the filter disks.

I claim: 
     
       1. A cleanable filter system, comprising: a housing having an inlet for fluid to be filtered and an outlet for filtered fluid;   a filter member disposed within said housing between said inlet and said outlet, said filter member having a central bore communicating with the outlet and an outer circumference communicating with the inlet;   a movable elongated hollow member disposed along the central bore of said filter member and having a plurality of fluid passages located at linearly separated locations along said elongated hollow member, one end of said elongated hollow member being in communication with a source of pressurized fluid; and   motion providing and pressurized fluid containing means, connected to said hollow member, for providing motion to move said hollow member linearly and rotationally such that substantially every point on the central bore of said filter member receives pressurized fluid impinged thereon from at least one of said fluid passages when said means is in operation.   
     
     
       2. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said motion providing means comprises rotating means for providing rotational movement to aid elongated hollow member and screw means for providing linear motion to said elongated hollow member, thus enabling combined rotational and linear movement of the elongated hollow member when in operation. 
     
     
       3. A system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said rotating means is manually operated. 
     
     
       4. A system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said rotating means is a motor. 
     
     
       5. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said motion providing means comprises a screwshaft connected to one end of said elongated hollow member, said screwshaft having a protrusion thereon, a part connected to said housing in threaded engagement with said screwshaft, a sleeve surrounding said screwshaft and having a linear slit for receiving said protrusion of said screwshaft, and rotating means for causing said sleeve to rotate and thereby impart rotating motion through said protrusion to said screwshaft, whereby, due to the threaded engagement of said screwshaft with said part, linear motion is also imparted to said elongated hollow member and said protrusion slides linearly within said slit on said sleeve during said linear motion. 
     
     
       6. A system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said rotating means is manually operated. 
     
     
       7. A system in accordance with claim 5, wherein said rotating means is a motor. 
     
     
       8. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said motion providing means comprises linear movement means for causing said elongated member to move linearly and at least one passage connected to said elongated member for imparting rotational movement onto said elongated member when pressurized fluid is forced therethrough. 
     
     
       9. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said filter member is constructed of a plurality of filter discs. 
     
     
       10. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said filter member is constructed of a stack of filter discs, at least some of said filter discs being of finger shape on their outer circumferences. 
     
     
       11. A cleanable filter system, comprising: a housing having an inlet for fluid to be filtered and an outlet for filtered fluid;   a filter member disposed within said housing between said inlet and said outlet, said filter member having a central bore communicating with the outlet and an outer circumference communicating with the inlet;   a movable elongated hollow member disposed along the central bore of said filter member and having a plurality of linearly elongated nozzle outlets located along said elongated hollow member, one end of said elongated hollow member being in communication with a source of pressurized fluid, wherein said elongated nozzle outlets are not substantially overlapping and together are directed to cause pressurized fluid to impinge upon the entire linear length of the central bore of said filter member; and   motion providing and pressurized fluid containing means, connected to said hollow member, for providing rotational motion to said hollow member, such that, during operation of said means, said hollow member rotates and substantially every point on the central bore of said filter member receives fluid impinged thereon from at least one of said elongated nozzle outlets.   
     
     
       12. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said motion providing means comprises a box connected to said housing having a tangential inlet connected to a source of pressurized fluid and an outlet, an impeller disposed within said box such that the tangential entry of pressurized fluid causes rotation of said impeller, and transmission means for transmitting the rotational motion of said impeller to said elongated hollow member. 
     
     
       13. A system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the outlet of said box is connected to the interior of said elongated hollow member, whereby the pressurized fluid entering through the tangential inlet of said box activates said impeller to a rotational motion, passes through the outlet of said box into the interior of said elongated hollow member and exits in the form of pressurized jets through the plurality of elongated nozzle outlets located on said elongated hollow member for cleaning the filter member. 
     
     
       14. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said motion providing means is connected to said elongated hollow member by a rigid elongated shaft for transferring rotational motion to the elongated hollow member during operation. 
     
     
       15. A system in accordance with claim 14, wherein said motion providing means comprises a motor. 
     
     
       16. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said filter member is constructed of a plurality of filter discs. 
     
     
       17. A system in accordance with claim 11, wherein said filter member is constructed of a stack of filter discs, at least some of said filter discs being of finger shape on their outer circumferences.